Cooldown Juice, located at 48-19 Skillman Ave., will shutter for good on July 31 (Photo: Google Maps)
July 13, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
On the same day that the Labor Department announced that inflation had surged to a record 40-year high, the owners of a popular juice shop in Sunnyside announced that they will soon close due to rising business costs.
Cooldown Juice, located at 48-19 Skillman Ave., will shutter for good on July 31 after more than seven years in operation. The company is known for its juices, smoothies and cleanses– as well as its healthy snacks and desserts.
Eric Barthels, the co-owner and a Sunnyside resident, made the announcement via the company’s Facebook page Wednesday. Barthels owns the business with his wife Sylwia.
“It is with a heavy heart that we are announcing that Cooldown Juice’s last day open will be Sunday, July 31st,” the post reads.
“While we have had an amazing experience serving the wonderful people of Sunnyside and Woodside over the past 7+ years, due to rising costs, unfortunately, we must move on.”
Cooldown Juice was first established as a juice delivery service at 39-11 47th Ave. in August 2015. The Barthels then converted their 47th Avenue space a few months later into a small café to offer in-store options as well as delivery.
In 2017 they moved their entire operation to the Skillman Avenue location.
Barthels told the Queens Post that the rising cost of food is the main reason for their impending closure. He said that the cost of their main ingredients—fruit and vegetables—have skyrocketed in recent months.
Cooldown Juice offers a range of juices made with organic fruit and vegetables, prices of which have skyrocketed in recent months (Photos via Facebook)
Barthels said they considered raising their prices to offset the higher costs, but it was impracticable.
“Even a modest price increase would cause a decrease in customers with people having tighter pockets,” Barthels said, noting the company has seen a slight drop in demand over the last few months.
He said the rising costs have eaten into their bottom line, and the business is no longer economically viable.
Barthels said it was a tough decision to close, given the business had weathered the economic storm of the pandemic.
He said their largest customer before the pandemic was the New York Mets. When restrictions began lifting, new management at the franchise decided not to renew their contract with Cooldown Juice, he said.
Barthels said that when the store closes, he will focus on his day job of teaching students with disabilities. He said his wife will explore new employment opportunities once they close.
“It’s obviously sad, but we’re going to move on to better things so hopefully it’s a blessing in disguise.”
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22 Comments
Great juices will be missed by Sunnyside runners. Feel bad for Sylvia, a genuinely lovely person who really cared for the business.
Found the owners Facebook troll presence so grating, though. Avoided going in while he was there. Probably cost them a fair bit of business over the years.
It’s the LANDLORDS that are the true greedy entities. They are responsible
did you read the article? didnt even say landlords are the issue
I would imagine the rent must be unreasonable. If you are selling $10 juice and not making a profit then there’s a problem.
I loved their juices, i wish they would had a more inviting decor, it always felt like you were getting something in the back of a room. A bit of design sensibility would had taken this place places. But amazing product. Wishing then owners good luck and prosperity.
Maybe a smoke shop will open up in its place. Seems like hundreds have opened up in Astoria.
Very sorry to hear this.
This is what happens when liberal democrats are in power.
All they do is tax and spend.
If this business was in Florida, they would still be in business.
Literally says in the article that it is due to raising costs in their core ingredients, fruits and vegetables and a lost contract with a big client. But hey, why read when you can just be a political shill and a moron, right?
My thoughts exactly RB!
BR- Did you even read the article? Quote the article “ He said their largest customer before the pandemic was the New York Mets. When restrictions began lifting, new management at the franchise decided not to renew their contract with Cooldown Juice, he said.” They lost a huge account.
BR-Your post and math don’t add up. How come NY’s GDP is over 10 times greater than Floridas ? https://www.statista.com/statistics/248023/us-gross-domestic-product-gdp-by-state/
How come everyone is moving to Florida? Your math does not add up!
People moving to Florida from Northern Eastern States is nothing new as proven by attached link. Retiree, people realizing real estate gains in the highly profitable Real Estate markets of the North East, people looking to exploit cheap slave labor and cheap real estate oh and people who can’t afford the North East are the majority of North Easterners moving to Florida.
Link for above https://depts.washington.edu/moving1/Florida.shtml
Their main client dropped them as a client, is the Mets’ GM a tax ‘n spend liberal? ?
Oops, you accidentally blamed one of the gigantic corporate franchises Republicans give tax breaks to!
Do you have a rebuttal? Are you going to let people malign you with their “facts”? Stand up for yourself! Don’t let the facts get in the way!!
There is nothing to do with liberals and democrats at this point !The whole world suffers the economic pandemic crisis .
You might wait for the better time when Trump comes again which you can dream of it but that dream will never come trough!
Great people, great store…
That sucks I hope the owners land on their feet. Maybe it’s time to reverse Richard Nixons fiat currency and adhere to the constitution ” weights and measures ” inflation keeps Americans down and is bs.
This is the second time since we left the gold standard that wealth has been stolen from the people ( in a blatantly obvious way not the normal year to year) I’m not necessarily saying gold standard but not fiat.
Inflation Rate in the United States averaged 3.27 percent from 1914 until 2022, reaching an all time high of 23.70 percent in June of 1920 and a record low of -15.80 percent in June of 1921.
When I was a kid ( I’m 44) a slice of pizza cost 50 cents. There is core inflation and there is real inflation. ha ha history lesson? stop supporting the banking cartel.
History, your calculation is miss leading. In 1973 we went fiat adding any time before that will lead to a false conclusion. Inflation hurts the poor and middle class especially if you don’t own property a bussiness or equities. We see inflation in what a one bedroom cost in sunnyside 20 years ago or a subway ride or a slice of pizza or a cup of coffee.